


Third time's a charm

by halesiias



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: All the times Victor falls in love, Canon Compliant, Falling In Love, M/M, Poor baby :((, Post-Series, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-10
Updated: 2017-05-10
Packaged: 2018-10-30 11:02:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10875423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/halesiias/pseuds/halesiias
Summary: When Victor falls in love, he falls faster than poor Alice down her rabbit hole, and this time without a miracle cake to solve all his issues.





	Third time's a charm

Love is a fickle thing. It nips at the heart and mind and yes, definitely the lower areas, on occasion.

When Victor Nikiforov first falls in love, he's fifteen and ready to take on the world, or so he thinks. His baby face is filling out and his shoulders are growing broader, and he can't help but think "I'm finally big enough to make adult decisions and be responsible!"

When Victor falls in love, he falls faster than poor Alice down her rabbit hole, and this time without a miracle cake to solve all his issues.

He meets a boy, a wonderful boy with the prettiest green eyes and a laugh sweeter than molasses. He's eighteen, a senior, so much bigger than little Victor tiptoeing beside him. But he makes do with what he has, or at least tries to.

Victor sees in a fluorescent pink hue for the next five months. He doodles hearts on his paper and there are stars in his eyes and he just can't calm down because he's in love.

Paper hearts surround them on Valentine's Day, couples kiss in the school corridors, and there's the certain feel of love in the air. Victor ignores them. He just needs to see that pretty senior and finally release his building feelings.

And that's when he sees him, a short girl by his side and a box of chocolates in her hands. She looks at him like he hung the stars just for her, and he stares back with equal interest. Victor flees.

He doesn't cry. He's upset, really upset, but that boy wasn't his to begin with. It's crying over spilled milk, really. Victor could have anyone he wanted, what with all the girls dropping to his feet in the halls. He decides to move on, and to not let the past weigh him down.

Victor cries a lot.

Before Victor realizes it, the school year's come to a close. Soon, that wonderful boy is fresh off to college with his petite girlfriend, and poor Victor is tossed to the side.

The next time Victor falls in love, it's fully platonic, yet neither realize it yet.

Christophe is good to Victor. They've been friends for a long time and a new step in their relationship is welcomed as easily as their friendship formed.

But every time Victor thinks he's finally going to kiss that man, he peels back. The sex is fine and the same as when they were friends (with benefits) but it still causes the aching feeling in Victor's chest.

One summer night they're lying in Victor's bed together, and it just leaks out of his mouth, an uncontrollable storm surge in the seemingly quiet night.

"We should split."

Christophe blinks, but finally a definite smile forms on his face. "I think platonic is best for us, too." he confesses.

They part and train in their respective homelands, and meet at many a Grand Prix. It's a bond that's destined to last, just one that followed a different trail than originally planned.

The third time Victor falls is the last, and he forever cherishes the memories of that fateful night that brought them together.

He's just won his fifth consecutive Grand Prix Final, something he isn't so sure he should be proud of anymore. 

He's been drawing his career out for years. He's missing his element of surprise these days and can no longer surprise the audience. What is a predicted routine compared to a wild force of nature no one could've ever imagined was possible? 

Victor's a sorcerer without his wand; a dragon with a torn wing. He's lost his true nature and now has to settle for less than he expected. Of course he's disappointed.

The champagne rocks his brain and makes everything a little tingly but he still feels okay. Just another three hours of talking up potential sponsors and ISU officials who are probably still pissed at him for his infamous pre-competition stunts. Just another boring night in the life of the five-time world champion. Sigh.

But it's anything like that and for the first time in a while, Victor feels the element of surprise waltz back into his life, this time in the form of a drunken Japanese man with killer thighs and the sweetest smile he's ever seen.

They dance and champagne is spilled everywhere but no one cares because it's the best goddamn night of their lives. 

Victor smiles like he's seventeen and just winning the European Championships again, like he's finally discovering the light at the end of that long, seemingly endless tunnel.

He's twenty six and already falling for this man, and then he pops the question. Yuuri saunters up to Victor and grinds against him like he's grating cheese, and then practically begs him to become his coach after a ramble of slurred Japanese.

And Victor can only blush and stare because he feels fifteen and alive again, like he's just falling for the pretty senior.

Only this is different. Yuuri's eyes are hazy and the alcohols clogging up his brain but his words, however indecipherable they are, are straight from the heart. That, Victor can tell.

Yuuri wants him close. Yuuri won't let go. Yuuri's begging for a chance, a chance to make something out of two lovestruck strangers.

Victor's so happy he could cry. He's finally found that missing link, the one that will stay rooted in his life. 

Soon Yuuri's being dragged off by his apologetic yet amused coach. He waves Victor goodbye, and Victor waves back, maybe a little too enthusiastically.

He spends the night in his hotel bed, eyes blown wide and heart pounding a hole in his chest. He laughs giddily and throws the pillows around and he smiles like he's never before.

The next morning he'll surprise Yuuri in his room with coffee and a hug and a plan to move to Yuuri's hometown to coach him.

Victor can't wait.

The next morning Yuuri's room is empty, and so is Victor. He asks around but no one's seen him, and it's fairly obvious that Yuuri's not coming back anytime soon, whether from hangover or an early flight back to Michigan.

Victor sulks. He doesn't cry, not yet. But his heart is weeping in his chest and Victor also feels inclined too.

He cries for a minute, then packs up his stuff and leaves for Yakov's room. 

He's done with silly dreams of life and love. No one can love seemingly perfect Victor Nikiforov right. No one can see past gold tinted smiles and determined eyes. 

At home he sleeps. He trains long and hard, harder than someone his age probably should, but Victor's had it and he's running out of energy.

Worlds is in a month and he can't wait for it to all be over. He supposes next season he'll just skate again in this trapped circle of skating seasons. There's no leaving the ice without good reason these days, not when everyone's expecting another gold medal.

He's trying not to be too hopeful of what he was really promised next season but it's not working too well and he stalks Yuuri's and his best friend Phichit's Instagrams like a creepy stalker.

He doesn't cry. No, really, he doesn't. He keeps his head held high and strives for gold at Worlds once again.

It comes as no shock to anyone when he actually wins. 

Now he's tired and just wants to sleep. But Yakov is still yelling over the phone and it's very hard to fall asleep to a screaming Russian man bursting open your eardrums.

Victor hangs up and sleeps, despite what anyone might say. He's just really tired of it all.

He awakes to Makkachin whining as his phone buzzes to life. Christophe is spamming mercilessly once again, a lovely Worlds tradition he'll never forget.

He puts his phone on silent and prays Christophe won't slit his throat with a spoon or something while he's making breakfast.

After a lovely meal of a spinach protein shake Victor settles on the couch, nose still wrinkled up with disgust. He's still jetlagged from his last flight back from Worlds and his eyes are trying to stay open desperately. 

He finally turns on his phone and flicks through Christophe's spam carelessly, until he discovers a link with a familiar name in it.

Victor's suddenly wide awake. He clicks on the link to the article without further hesitation and pulls up the video on the page.

He gasps, really gasps, because there goes Yuuri Katsuki, skating to his program like it was made for him. In reality, it kind of was, as, at Worlds, Victor skated with Yuuri in mind, a plea for a sign to keep believing.

And there it is, his certain sign. Yuuri had posted this video and was basically calling out to Victor. He can't pass up the opportunity.

He hops on the closest flight to Hasetsu without second thought, and waits restlessly for whatever is to come.

Flash forward to three years later. Victor Nikiforov stands in his underwear in the middle of his living room, during winter of all times. He's cold and tired but it's really a different sort than before.

And then warm hands trail up his hips and lips are being pressed against his neck and Victor finally just sighs with pure contentment.

Yuuri's breath is hot on his skin and the kisses he leaves are scalding but Victor just can't get enough and pulls his husband closer.

His husband's laugh rings out in the quiet morning like the muted sound of church bells and his eyes are crinkling like paper and Victor keeps falling for him every single day because he just can.

Yuuri is his husband, his soulmate, the one to remain by his side until the end. All his life he's been waiting for this, for the good morning kisses and walks in the park with Makkachin and finding his life and love.

Victor cries more than he really should.

And when his tears have dried and his breath is no longer shallow, Yuuri's there with coffee and a big hug to start another day in their life together.

**Author's Note:**

> Hmu on twitter @halesiias :))


End file.
